Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-04-11
BURNING PRAlRiEs.
Destruction. of Life and Property in
Various Portions OF Dakota.

of Life and Property in
Various Portions of Dakota.
Huron, April 9-As intimated in the
last night prairie fires dad
great damage south aud north from here.
In Grant township, seven miles south,
and along Cane creek the damage wss
greatest. Edward Maloney and sister
Kate lived on Fred Towns iarm. When
the fire Come up Ed was in the field less
than q mile from home. The fte WAS
three miles distant, the wind blowing
from the southwest thirty miles an hour,
Before he could reach home the fire was
upon him. He told his sister Kate a nd
Annie Marine who war stopping with
Kate, to run to the plowed ground only
o few rods away. The ladies immediately
staktsd TOR the field, but the wind carried
them before it III another direction, and
they were overtaken by the fra within
ten rods OF the plowed ground. MIR.
Maioney went to the barn to turn out
the horses. In an instant the house and
barn were in flames. Neighbors, seeing
the buildings atire, started Tor the scene.
Kate Maloney was found a few rods
from home, her clothing nearly ali burn-
ed off and hair all gone and eyes BURG
ed nearly out. She q sJtaken to o nsigh
boris. Annie Martin was found q little
further on, the clothing burned entirely
from her body. She was unable to speak,
and MAS put in q wagon and SEM to her
fathers, q couple OF miles distant. She
died this morning and was buried from
the Catholic church this afternoon, Ed.
uunpA MQlnnnutc hndxy 1ac fo,-l ~I--A
fifty feet from the barn. He must have
died OF sntfocation. The remains were
sent to Preston, MIMI, this afternoon,
where his parents reside. Kate is in o very
critical condition and cannot recover.
The house, with contents; also stable,
horses, machinery, etc., we're all des-
troyed. Loss, propably $4,000.
In the same neighborhood Elmer
Wilson's barn and contents were burned
and VIM. Yoneli's house, barn, cattle
sheds and machinery all destroyed. II
is impossible to ascertain the loss. but
it Will reach several thousand dollars
with very little insurance. +
Besides the damage to the fair grounds
OF $1,000, the home OF MI. Bronson, 90
cupied by William Amundson, two
miles north OF the city, vas burned.
The family saved only the clothing they
had on. a. ii, Risdon lost his house,
worth $400; also @. e. Parker's house
Loss. $500. Three ether houses unoo.
cupied in the same neIghborhood burned.
The loss is probably $1,000.
The last report from Kate MaIeaey
TINS informing Wal That recovery was
impossible.
Mitchell, April "Details OF the
prairie fires show great damage IN several
directions. Northwest OF Letcher eight
farmers we're burned t,sntfe ring losses
ranging from $500 to $1,000, losing
buildings, hay, grain, machinery, and in
two instances, stock and o SOL of j. P.
Dister was fatally burned while trying
to saw stock.
At 2 o'clock this morning a farmer
named Geo. T. Hammer, sixteen miles
south OF here, awoke to find his house
in flames. He and family barely escaped
WIFI 4tkeir lives, losing everything else.
The fire is thought to be incendiary, as
was no prairie fire near.
Wakonda, April 9th-Yesterday al
about il O'Clock q large prairie FIRE was
discovered coming towards the town
from the south. A very high wind was
blowing. which carried the FIRE at q
tremendous rate. At the alarm every
body turned ont to save the town and
help the neighboring farmers. Is passed
east of town about one mile and was
kept out only by timely and hard work.
Full particulars are impossible to get at
this time, but it is reported that the fire
started about seven or eight miles below
here, ct Tenants place, whose house
caught fire and burned, setting the
prairie on fire with burning fragments.
Those who suffered losses 30 far as
known ares:
John Cronan, lArgebarns, sheds, grain,
machinery, some stock, etc.; amount OF
loss not; known, some insurance. AT
this place the fire jumped q piece oil
blowing SEQ yards vide.
John SlatterJ n mile from town,
lost ell OF bis hay, and barely saved his
buildings, as did also Aaron Bobb.
a. s. Haver lost his barn and gran
cry, 25 bushels of wheat, 20 bushels of
iax, several hogs and calves. and some
machinery. Loss, over $500; $l00 in
Isurance.
The wind is yet blowing hard. and
people are Watching the little fire that
remains. The old settlers all agree that
it was the worst fire they e7er had to
contend with.
Sc. Paul, April "a Madison, D. t.,
special to the Pioneer Press says inn
manse prairie fires burned over the
south halt OF lake county last night.
Some twenty-five farmers lost their
houses, barns, stock and grain. France
Keller was burned to death between his
burning house and barn. The Madison
iie department was called out to protect
the town from fire coming from the
west before q wind blowing forty miles
an honr.
Highmore, April 9-An inmense prai-
rie fire, raging about mile south of
town, driven by q strong wind from the
south, called out the citizens, $50 strong
yesterday. A Gre break two miles long
was made and the town is now free from
danger. At 3 o'clock the temperature
was % in the shade. Signal Observer
Lyons, of st. Paul, says unless the
northwest has ram within q few hours
the. conditions will be highly favorable
for cyclones. The weather here tonight
is warm and sultry.
Vermillion, April 9-Mr, Cronan
wing near Lodi. lost all his buildings,
1000 bushels corn, 1000 bushels wheat,
1000 bushels oats and all his young
stock from prairie fire,